Protecting asprete in the Vâlsan River, Romania

Fauna & Flora works with the Alex Găvan Foundation to protect the rarest freshwater fish in Europe and one of the rarest in the world, the critically endangered asprete.

Our work

Fauna & Flora and our partners in Romania are conducting surveys on the Vâlsan River, the only place in the world where the asprete still survives, to identify the abundance and distribution of the fish and monitor it. The asprete was first discovered in 1956, and described in 1957, but has been around for at least 17 million years, making it a living fossil.

We are engaging nearby communities in our efforts to increase awareness of the asprete and the importance of protecting freshwater ecosystems.

Fauna & Flora and in-country partner, Alex Găvan Foundation, are also pressing decision-makers to remove four small dams (weirs) that are preventing the free movement of the asprete and other fish species towards better habitats for living, feeding and breeding.

Project goals

• Establish the abundance and distribution of the asprete population and calculate, by standardised methods, the size of the population
• Build a research and breeding-in-captivity base for the species on the banks of the Vâlsan River
• Restore freshwater habitats and connectivity on sectors of the Vâlsan River to allow the natural growth of the population, as well as expanding these activities to two other rivers, where the species once lived, to facilitate the reintroduction of asprete
• Involve the local community in our projects, bringing direct and indirect benefits, offering support for sustainable economic development by creating the concept of the “Asprete local brand” that will bring tourism and support sales of local products